1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a knitting method of a tubular knitted fabric with projections, such as a sock, a supporter, and the like, using a flat knitting machine, and to a tubular knitted fabric knitted by the same knitting method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Elastic underwear having stretch and having a capability of providing a massage effect on a human body is known (Patent Document 1). In this elastic underwear, a plain knitted fabric part is knitted as a base knitted fabric part and an elastic yarn is weaved in it by the inlay. In the base knitted fabric part, a so-called float knitted fabric part is mixed wherein wales are produced by putting knitting needles in an operative mode to successively form loops in the wales and wales of various sizes are produced by putting the knitting needles in an inoperative mode for a predetermined course, not to form loops of the wales for the predetermined course. When one puts on this elastic underwear, vertical columns of loops formed by the float knitted fabric part serve as projections to provide a massage effect on the one's body. Also, a knitted fabric with projections applicable to a supporter and the like to produce a massage effect and an anti-slip effect is known (Patent Document 2). This knitted fabric is produced by using a circular knitting machine, according to which some courses are formed by putting certain needles of the knitting needles used for the knitting the knitted fabric in their inoperative positions, so that after the knitting, loops of the courses adjacent to a cored knitting yarn in the inoperative position are shrunk to produce projections on the back side of the knitted fabric, so as to provide the effects mentioned above. In addition to the knitting methods outlined above, yet another knitting method is also known according to which a projection part is previously formed as a separate part and the projection part is attached to the knitted fabric by sewing or by patching.
However, since any of the knitted fabrics mentioned above includes the plain knitted fabric part as the base knitted fabric part, even when the elastic yarn is weaved in the plain knitted fabric part by the inlay, it is hard for such a knitted fabric to provide a high supporting performance. In addition, the projection forming part is knitted with the knitting needles selectively put in the operative mode or in the inoperative mode during the formation of a course circularly knitted. In other words, the knitting of the projection forming part is integrally included in the process of knitting a tubular knitted fabric, so that the knitting process of the tubular knitted fabric and the knitting process of the projection forming part are not separated from each other. Hence, this knitting is sometimes subjected to various restrictions when the projection forming part is formed at an arbitrary location on the knitted fabric and in an arbitrary shape. Also, the knitting method wherein the projection part is separately formed and then is attached in the knitted fabric by sewing or patching at a later stage requires complicated works at the later stage and thus high production costs.
Patent Document 1: JP Laid-open (Unexamined) Patent Publication No. 2003-13341, and
Patent Document 2: JP Laid-open (Unexamined) Patent Publication No. 2002-146654